MLA 8th Edition: Formatting Names
When formatting names for the Works Cited page, list the author’s last name followed by a comma and the rest of the name as it appears on the source.
Omit any titles given, such as Dr., Saint, or Sir.
Rules may vary for works published in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese because the author’s name most likely appears with the last name first.
In such an instance, the name is listed in the works cited as it appears in the publication without a comma.
Other languages may also allow for variation. In this case, you should follow the normal formatting rules but adapt them as necessary.
Please check the 8th edition of the MLA Handbook if you cannot decide how to best cite a name.
In the body of your text, always state someone’s full name the first time you use it. Write it exactly as it appears in the source.
In subsequent uses, you can refer to the person by their last name.
Use simplified names of famous authors or pseudonyms for authors if appropriate.
In general, refer to fictional characters using the same name that the source text uses; there is no need to always use the full name, and you may retain titles when appropriate.
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